A serving police officer claimed his BMW’s number plates had been stolen to avoid facing justice for driving offences. PC Raja Yousaf, who works in Tameside, was recognised by one of his Greater Manchester Police colleagues after being spotted driving at speed through the streets of Oldham.
Officers lost sight of the car as it sped off from Greenacres Road in the middle of the night. Around 20 minutes later, PC Yousaf reported his registration plates as stolen, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (August 30).
The incident unfolded at around midnight on July 30, 2021. Police who recognised PC Yousaf had tried to stop it using emergency equipment, but their rogue colleague headed out of sight.
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Yousaf, of Tunstall Road, Oldham, attended Oldham police station in September 2021. Under caution, the 28-year-old denied he had been in the car, instead claiming he had been in Stockport at the time of the offence.
GMP says its investigations proved that PC Yousaf’s mobile phone had been in Oldham on the night in question, and not Stockport. He was subsequently arrested and later charged with perverting the course of justice.
PC Yousaf’s case was heard in Manchester Magistrates Court on May 18 and transferred to Liverpool Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty during an appearance in June. He was sentenced to four months in prison at the same court yesterday.
GMP says PC Yousaf has been suspended from duty since June 2022. He is now set to face internal disciplinary proceedings.
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